what is a SHTF gun

[dougk]

I have seen this term used several times and am curious what really is a SHTF gun?  And what kind of S are we talking about?

[burntmuch]

Zombies in the front yard. Or anything else that makes you want a gun in your hand with a couple hundred rounds at arms reach.

[mikemayberry]

Stands for "stuff hits the fan" and means your "go to" gun in a hurry if you can only take one with you.  At least that's what I always thought it meant.  Events fitting this description could be anything that might force you from your home--natural disaster, civil unrest or whatever.  Wouldn't it be smart to have one rifle and one handgun of the same caliber with lots of ammo that will fit both?


mm

[Default_Required]

Stands for "stuff hits the fan" and means your "go to" gun in a hurry if you can only take one with you.  At least that's what I always thought it meant.  Events fitting this description could be anything that might force you from your home--natural disaster, civil unrest or whatever.  Wouldn't it be smart to have one rifle and one handgun of the same caliber with lots of ammo that will fit both?


mm

 I have the same line of thinking as you Mike , Had the lever action and matching calibered revoler set up for me and another set for the missus. Cant lose your magazine for ether no matter how rattled you may get from said scenerio. Hard times have force the sale of all 3 of those fire arms. and one of the pistols brought me a long wanted 444 Marlin rifle, Which I may very well take to my grave lol 

 But to the original poster , It is the arm you are most familiar and praticed with IMHO even if it is a 10/22 Ruger. All the AKs and ARs in world are gonna mean crap if you are not proficient with them. Had an old Vet./Retired LEO tell me once that "If you cant seal the deal in six shots , it wont matter if you have a truck load of ammo behind you." The same te me applies when thinking about what you would consider a SHTF weapon. And of course no one knows your area better then you and what would work best to safe gaurd you and yours.

[Dances with Geoducks]

Lets see them mall ninjas hump all that weight, magazines and other stuff for a few days.
5lb 30-30 does me just fine

[SharonAnne]

what is a SHTF gun? It is the gun YOU reach for when the crap Hits The Fan. As the discussion shows, opinions on exactly which gun that is varies

The substitution of the word "crap" for the intended word was NOT the act of this writer.

[SHOOTALL]

I would guess its a gun you would bet your life on if things were bad enough that you had to face a fight or die decision or had to collect food or die situation. It would be a gun set up for long term use with little hope of repair other than what you can provide for it . It would be that tool you would cling to in the worst of times .
The reality though is in most cases its the gun you carry because you might not be near the safe at home when the processed food matter hits the rotating blades .
On the other hand it could be any gun that comes apart when you shoot it as that surely would be a SHTF moment in anyones book. 

[Graybeard]

This is a family oriented site intended to be safe for all members of a Christian family to view. As such some words you might use daily in your life are not allowed here and we instead have a program to substitute a more suitable word for the eyes of children and others who do not wish to read what the s stands for here.

To me a SHTF situation would be any situation where me or my family's safety comes into question. Thus a SHTF gun might be any one of those I own depending on just what the exact scenario turns out to be. If we look at it as a total collapse of society situation with roving bands of bad guys you need to defend against that clearly calls for different weapons than a dark street mugger situation.

I don't have just one SHTF weapon but lots of them and which is chosen or is at hand will depend on the specific situation that develops.

[wganz]

I have seen this term used several times and am curious what really is a SHTF gun?  And what kind of S are we talking about?

S=Stinky Stuff you Step in while barefoot in a cow pasture and Squishes between your toes.
It is the rifle you wish had when you were stuck in NOLA after Katrina.

[Lloyd Smale]

couldnt have said it better myself Bill.[quote author=Graybeard link=topic=207501.msg1099094583#msg1099094583 date=1273877230

To me a SHTF situation would be any situation where me or my family's safety comes into question. Thus a SHTF gun might be any one of those I own depending on just what the exact scenario turns out to be. If we look at it as a total collapse of society situation with roving bands of bad guys you need to defend against that clearly calls for different weapons than a dark street mugger situation.

I don't have just one SHTF weapon but lots of them and which is chosen or is at hand will depend on the specific situation that develops.
[/quote]

[RB1235]

 For me;
 It should be depended on to go boom when needed.
 It should be reasonably accurate.
 It should be an uncomplicated design which is not prone to failure.
 It should be able to reliably feed rounds.
 It should be reasonably strong, able to withstand dropping and severe use.
 It should be reasonably fast and effortless to shoulder, aim and hit targets.
 It should be able to be easily maintained without specialty tools.
 It should be chambered in a readily available caliber.
 It should be effective to the range you wish to use it at.
 It should be powerful enough to eliminate the threat.
 It should be a good compromise in many situations, no one rifle is perfect.
 It should be able to give the user the confidence needed to endure.
 
 
 
 

[demented]

 For me its that ONE firearm I'll grab when I can only take one along.  It's gotta be capable of defending my or others life and well being, able to provide food if need be-a jack of all trades working gun.  In my mind, a shotgun will the only gun versatile enough to do most everything a firearm will be called on to do.  It won't be perfect for all scenarios but its not so specialized as to be worthless for certain functions.  An AK-47 or AR-15 would be one of those that would be fine in a running gun fight, not so good trying to take small game to keep starvation at bay. 

[teamnelson]

Mine would be neither tactical, nor exotic, nor strictly speaking for self defense.

It would be something that when I bleed out, my very small wife would feel confident she could maintain and operate despite malnutrition, fatigue, dehydration and probable illness, and pass on to several generations into the future without any tools, parts or special knowledge.

For me, the threat of a tsunami gave me laser beam focus on this question, as I had reasonable expectation that we would not be coming back to the stockpile at home, and that in the ensuing social collapse/martial law following, a highly visible weapon would be a liability (aka detrimental to survival). What I grabbed told me a lot about the way my mind thinks in a crisis.